The support for Palestine continues as old and new protesters show up in the past and foreseeable Saturdays to share their signs and voices, including veterans and Jewish supporters. 

For the foreseeable Saturdays in Corvallis, Oregon State University students and community members will continue protesting in front of the Benton County Courthouse, which was organized last Saturday by the Students United for Palestinian Equal Rights, including further collaboration with Veterans for Peace.  

Azeem Hussaini, an OSU graduate who studied political science, helped start the SUPER organization on campus in 2017 said that it was “amazing” to see the turnout at the rally. 

SUPER is a multi-campus organization ith chapters at other universities such as Portland State University and University of Washington.

At OSU, due to most of the members from SUPER graduating in 2018, and issues with the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization went dormant. However, students are working to re-establish the organization. 

Hussaini described the energy at the rally as a mix between helplessness and hopefulness. 

“I think we’re trying to mirror the spirit of the Palestinians,” Hussaini said. 

According to him, the protestors want to be reflective of the “fighting,” “despair” and “hope” that the Palestinians may be enduring. 

“There’s one state that has amazing military capability, that has the backing of the United States … against (Palestinians) who have literally nothing,” Hussaini said. 

In reference to the U.S. sending aid to Israel, such as money and two Iron Dome systems, he believes that we – U.S. citizens – are all implicated. 

“That’s why you see a lot of people in the U.S. coming out, because our tax dollars go to the suffering that we’re seeing,” Hussaini said. “I think it’s important for all of us to come out and support, and show the U.S. government that we don’t agree with this.” 

Gallup, a global analytics and advisory firm, reported that in 2023, U.S. adult sympathy has risen to 31%, up from 26% last year. While U.S. adult sympathy for Israel has declined to 54%,the lowest since 2005, down from 55% last year.

“I do not like that Israel and the U.S. is using my family’s trauma (and) hardships to justify the genocide and brutality against the Palestinian people,” said Pydge, a Jewish protestor and art major at OSU. “I have to be out here for my own family’s sake.”  

Pydge described themself as “energized,” “determined” and “passionate.” They perceived the situation between Israel and Gaza as Israel committing acts of terrorism against Palestinians, while calling the U.S. support for Israel an “abomination.”

Brenna Gannett, a second-year bio health science major, who accompanied Pydge to the rally said that describing the situation between Israel and Palestine as a “conflict” is misleading and a version of propaganda, though she’s not surprised at the U.S. support for Israel.

“They don’t care about Jewish people,” Gannett said. “They care about having influence in the Middle East.”

Earlier this month, The New York Times published an article citing how progressive Jews are feeling left “abandoned” by people on the left. 

“Jewish liberals are distressed both by what is being said and what was left unsaid in the initial statements from universities, schools and corporations after the attack,” The New York Times said. 

In response to Jewish people on the left feeling they may be politically homeless, Gannett claimed that it isn’t about being against Jewish people, and it never was. To her, the protests are against Israeli occupation and violence. 

Gannett claimed that a lot of people in the “free Palestine movement” want to protect Jews and live peacefully with them. 

“We’ve always lived in a diaspora, so I think that it’s fine to continue to live in (a) diaspora,” Pydge said. “Israel is not our home.” 

Veterans For Peace is a global organization of military veterans and allies, with a network of over 140 chapters, who want to build a culture of peace. 

The organization has been active since 1985, and holds a non-governmental organization seat at the United Nations. 

“We have multiple missions, but the main one is to stop our government from interfering in the affairs of other countries, and to put diplomacy over warfare,” said VFP member and protestor Rick Staggenborg.

Staggenborg believes that all U.S aid to Israel should be seized until they comply with international law. 

Earlier this month, the Public Broadcasting NewsHour reported that Hamas, the political party in control of Gaza, and Israel have both been accused of breaking international law. 

However, “enforcing the law amid the fog of war is difficult. Holding perpetrators to account once conflicts are over has often proved elusive,” according to PBS. 

According to PBS, the Geneva Conventions state, “civilians, the wounded and prisoners must be treated humanely in wartime. They ban murder, torture, hostage-taking and ‘humiliating and degrading treatment’ and require fighters to treat the other side’s sick and wounded.”

As of the time of this article, the Associated Press reported that the death toll among Palestinians has risen to 8,000 – mostly women and minors – while the death toll among Israelis is over 1,400 – mainly civilians killed in the initial attack on Oct. 7. 

“What’s really going to stop the genocide is the Israeli people standing up (and) admitting their government’s wrong,” Staggenborg said. “They need to demand that (their) government stop the genocide.”

Staggenborg believes that the only path to peace and prosperity is a one-state solution, as long as everybody has equal rights and are allowed to live there.